As I started to do some research for this post I realized I might be a bit behind the curve for this whole “Christmas gift Idea” blog post. Here’s the thing: we have 7 family birthdays in the month of December before Christmas so honestly I barely start thinking about Christmas presents until like the 18th when all but 1 are done. So really, for me, this blog post is WAY ahead of the curve. If you’ve already bought all your gifts and they are tidily wrapped and are just awaiting the big day, maybe you can file this away for next year. If you are a bit more like me, this should come just in time! Here is a list of ideas that we, being an outdoor oriented family, would love to receive (in many cases we already have and we love them!). I hope you can find some inspiration for what to get for those nature lovers in your family.

1. Hammocks

Hammocks have come a long way in recent years. No longer resigned to a seasonal backyard fixture, hammocks now come ready to travel wherever you want to go. They are great for people of all ages. Mom and dad love to relax after a day of hiking and read a book. Some of our big boys have “rock-offs” where they try to see who can rock the highest without falling out, winner determined by the one who hasn’t fallen out…our baby even likes to nap in our hammocks. You may start with one or two but will quickly need one per person. We have tried various brands over the years but our favorite is SOCO. Their hammocks are very similar to an ENO hammock but their cinch buckle system elevated our hanging up experience from dread to no problem. We also love their colors but more importantly they use socially conscious (hence SOCO) practices AND you can designate a portion of your purchase cost to go to a charity (hence the slogan “kick back, give back”). This is a gift that you get to give to two people! You can’t beat that.

2. Annual National Park Pass

I am putting this in a category of its own (verses passes to other locales and events) because it is so much bigger than any of those. This annual pass gives two adults and the people in their vehicle access to any and all national parks in the US. If you’ve spent any time on our website you know the high value we put on our national parks (see…link to a few blogs etc). On the years we didn’t buy or receive a pass as a gift, we found ourselves really debating any trip to a park. Was it worth the cost? On the years we have a pass we find ourselves going out of our way to hit parks-why not?! It’s free after all! You can purchase passes at the parks themselves but you can also do it online here. Depending on the parks you visit, you can pay off the pass in 3 visits. This is a great gift for families planning to travel to parks in the coming year but also for families who live near a park. Imagine being able to head on over to the park near your house in every season, for special events, or just when you need some time outside. This is much more doable with an annual pass.

3. Geocaching

Ok, here’s the one we are hoping for this year: a new GPS so we can go geocaching as a family. If you haven’t heard of geocaching yet you will soon. It is a really exciting new way to explore the outdoors. People have hidden “caches” all over the world and you can use a GPS unit to go find them! Think global treasure hunt gone wild! Our kids can’t wait to try this out. We really wanted to do some geocaching this summer at some of the National Parks we visited but none of the ancient “technology” we currently own will work. Hopefully we’ll be up and running after Christmas (hint, hint grandparents!). There are lots of GPS units available at lots of prices. I think my huntin’ fool husband wants one that he can also use when out “treasure hunting” wild game. Garmin makes a great product in this category. They have models like the eTrex110 that are in the $100 range and have more functionality and versatility. However, if you are looking for a really affordable and kid focused gift, I love to look and price of the Geomate Jr. sold here. This isn’t a gear review since I haven’t tried it myself but it looks like a great starter kit. The main device is priced very reasonable and made to be user friendly. If your outdoor family already has a GPS but wants to get started using it to geocache, this company also sells “starter kits.” They have one for starting searching and one for starting hiding (once you get the drift of searching for caches you can learn how to hide and record your own!). Their finding starter kit includes a 1 year membership! (you need a membership in an organization like this in order to have access to a wider variety of caches and more information about them. BTW, this annual membership would make a great gift all by itself! There are some free caching groups too like this one ) I digress. Don’t worry if this seems overwhelming and you don’t understand how it all works. Just make sure you understand how much the recipient family has done in the past and choose an appropriate gift

In summary: Just starting out? This is the one you want and you might include a starter kit too. Own their own GPS but haven’t geo cached? Just get them the starter kit and if they are experienced geocachers? Get them a membership to a geocaching group like this one. That’s it-great gift!

4. Memberships/passes/tickets

I love this gift because it is really a gift of making memories, spending time together and it gives over and over again. You can give a family the gift of a membership, passes or tickets to all sorts of outdoorsy things. Recently some good friends in WA sent us tickets to the Denver Zoo Winter Lights at Night display. Not only are we so excited for a fun reason to get outside this winter, they were also really convenient for our friends to purchase. No matter where you live you can go online, purchase tickets or passes or memberships and have a confirmation sent to the recipient. Christmas shopping done! If you hate lines in stores and crowds of consumers and that frantic last minute shopping, this is a great way to go. Some ideas that come to mind are local zoos, botanical gardens, ski passes, or even memberships to recreation centers. Although a recreation center is not a strictly outdoor item, they really help your family stay in shape in the winter months or during streaks of bad weather.

5. Classes

These would fall under the same category as an “experience” type gift. Is there something your outdoor family has been hoping to try but hasn’t been sure how to start? Maybe your teen wants to try rock climbing or the family has found a cool location to canoe to but aren’t sure about how to do it safely. Not only is this a gift of experience, it is a gift of knowledge and most importantly a gift of safety. Let’s face it grandparents-those outdoorsy types are going to go out and do “it,” whatever it is for them. Now you can give them the gift of knowing how to mitigate risks and up the enjoyment factor. Where do you find such classes you ask? Try the following: recreation departments offer classes at very reasonable rates (look for rock climbing, snowshoeing, boating, swimming, cycling, navigation, and more), outdoor stores like REI often offer classes (check out REI where they offer classes for all ages and for families), our Museum of Nature and Science has trips that include guides who are trained not only in the outdoors but in the science of the area (canoe trips down rivers in CO and UT to learn about ecosystems, natural history, and the biology of the area for example), and finally one for parents only-how about a wilderness first aid program so they can be confident about keeping the family safe. I haven’t been through a course with any of the following but you might check out SOLO, Wilderness Medicine, and Wilderness Medical Associates International.

That’s it folks. I believe every outdoorsy family would be thrilled with any of the gifts above and I think they are gifts you can feel good about giving. They are unique, experience-oriented, build memories that last forever and they are thoughtful (and you don’t even have to leave your house to send them!). Maybe you will even find something that will motivate you to join that outdoorsy family in your life! Wait! I think I promised a (+1) idea…being a mom of 4 boys I had to throw this in. My boys live for fire. They would love any gift that gave them an excuse to burn stuff. Here are some fun ideas I’ve found that we will be trying out ourselves soon: Two ways to add some color to your campfire.

At “Nature for kids” they share a fun idea for adding color to your campfire using a sprinkled on powder. They tell you where to buy it and also link to a way to make your own.

We’ve known about, but never tried, pine cones that you can throw on the fire that add color too. You can purchase some here or choose one of the links below for how to DIY some of your own.

How about a “s’mores-in-a-box” gift? Here are some ideas to get you started but really you can figure this out on your own…let’s see, graham crackers, marshmallows, chocolate. Yep, you know the drill. To make it a bit more fun you could add marshmallow roasting sticks, various kinds of chocolate, or this idea that I love- s’mores in a terracotta pot for the family without a fireplace or firepit. If you want cute packaging and labeling ideas just go to pinterest.com and search “smores gift box” or “smores kit.”

So that’s it folks! Our top 5 (+1) for 2014. We hope your holidays are filled with what is important-family, fun and the outdoors. If you have other ideas or love these products too we would love to hear from you in the comments section below!